Broken Dreams
by Kamari Targaryen
Summary: After an accident alters her life forever, Ella must learn to follow a new dream with the help of those closest to her. One shot, AU. Rated T for a few curse words and some mildly mature themes. Ella centric, but features Sky, Dave, and Sugar as well.


**Total Drama is not mine. It is the property of Teletoon Inc. The OCs are mine, however.**

**This story is dedicated to the memory of Robin Williams, a great actor, comedian, and person. He will be missed. **

* * *

To be a ballet dancer was all Ella Langford had ever dreamed about. Ever since she was a little girl Ella had spent all her free time devoting herself to achieving that dream. By the time she was fourteen she had already danced in some of the most well known ballets of all time, including _Swan Lake_ and _The Nutcracker_, and she seemed well on her way to becoming an internationally recognized ballet dancer. And still she wasn't done. She had aims on dancing on the biggest stages in the world and would stop at nothing to make that dream come true.

In addition to her success in ballet, Ella was becoming known as a prolific singer and actress. Ballet was still her primary focus, but at the age of fourteen she had acted in a dozen plays and two TV shows. She had also recorded half a dozen songs, all of which received radio play on the local radio station in Ella's hometown.

With so much success at such an early age, Ella was on cloud nine. But success often comes with a price and Ella was about to learn just how devastating that price can be.

* * *

It was a clear, unusually warm October day when Ella's ballet dream died. She had awoken that morning with no notion of the horror that was to come that evening. Like she did everyday she had gotten ready, eaten breakfast, and headed off to school, all while looking forward to the prospect of attending the party that some of the older students at her ballet school were throwing that night. She had barely been able to focus on classes that day, all of the excitement building up inside of her until she was fit to burst.

When the final bell had rung she had bolted for the exit, ignoring the snarky comment from her longtime rival, Sugar Wiggins. She had arrived at the ballet academy several minutes later, finding the others waiting for her. Tall, lean Amber Collins, who was the best dancer at the academy, aside from Ella herself, of course. Perpetually positive Carly Doen, who had been the first to accept Ella. Cool, collected Tali Shipman and her flamboyant twin Conner. And dark, brooding Benji Heaton, who still made Ella swoon when he looked at her. All of them were older than Ella by at least two years. Carly was the closest in age to Ella at sixteen, while the other four were all seventeen, though Amber was less than a month from her eighteenth birthday. Ella admired them all and was still a little surprised they even acknowledged her, though as Carly had once explained it was extremely hard to ignore talent like Ella's. Together, they represented the cream of the crop at the academy and Ella was honored to be a member of the group.

"Ella, there you are." Carly said, greeting her with a warm hug.

"What took you so long?" Amber asked, giving Ella a searching look as she spoke.

"I had to wait for the bus." Ella answered, in a voice that was liquid gold.

"Yes, well, next time try not to be late." Amber said, her tone flat. It was no secret that Amber harbored a bit a resentment towards Ella, as Ella had bumped Amber from the top spot at the academy. She was usually pretty good about keeping that resentment contained, but Ella's apparent tardiness seemed to have ruffled her feathers.

"Come on Amber, don't be a bitch." Carly said, moving to keep the peace.

Amber looked like she wanted argue, but remained silent, apparently deciding a fight wasn't worth it. And before anyone else could stir the pot, Benji stepped in, his dark gaze passing over each of them before coming to rest on Ella, who felt her breath catch in her chest.

"So, Ella, you ready for your first party." Benji asked, his tone smooth, like liquid silk.

"I...uh...yeah, you bet." Ella said, swallowing nervously, heat creeping up her neck as it always did when Benji spoke to her.

Benji smiled and nodded, seemingly content with Ella's response. He then turned and walked away, towards a black SUV that was parked down the block. Amber, Tali, and Conner followed, with Ella and Carly bringing up the rear, Carly grinning and holding Ella's hand.

The SUV was Benji's, Ella knew and she'd had many a fantasy of driving around town in it with just him, though she doubted those fantasies would ever come true. But it never hurt to dream and Ella would never give up hope. However, tonight wasn't the time to think about such things. There was a party to look forward to and all the fun that was sure to come with it.

Several hours later, Ella found herself in the midst of the wildest party she had ever seen. Granted she hadn't really seen a party like this until now, as this was the first party she had ever attended, not counting the birthday parties she'd gone to as a little girl. It had been a shock when she'd first stepped inside the house, but she had quickly grown comfortable with the pounding beat of the music and the swaying bodies of teenage partiers.

It was a thrill the likes of which she'd never known before and Ella found herself becoming less and less aware of the dangers around her. She had refused all alcohol that had been offered to her, but she was certain she had ingested some anyway. But she found she didn't care anymore, all her inhibitions lowered by the atmosphere.

And yet, for all the fun she was having, Ella soon found herself ready to leave. Not wanting to be a bother to the others she didn't immediately say anything, though Carly soon figured it out and to Ella's surprise, the others agreed to leave for her sake.

"But you guys are having so much fun." she protested. "Don't leave because of me."

"It's not a problem Ella." Tali said. "We came together and we leave together. That's just how we roll."

Ella nodded, glad her friends weren't upset with her, though she still felt bad about tearing them away from the party. She kept her feelings to herself however, deciding it was best not to push the issue, lest she make one of them angry.

As they left, Ella became aware of just how drunk Benji was. Amber, Tali, and Conner were wasted as well, though Carly didn't seem to be quite as drunk. At first, it seemed like it wouldn't be a problem, but it soon became apparent that Benji was too wasted to drive. Growing concerned, Ella moved to get Benji to stop.

"Benji, maybe we should stop for a bit." she suggested. "You're drunk and I think you should sober up before you drive any further."

"Nah, I'm fine." Benji said, his tone nonchalant. "We'll be okay."

"Okay, if you-BENJI, LOOK OUT!" Ella screamed, changing course mid sentence as the SUV suddenly swerved into the path of an oncoming semi.

Benji jerked the wheel, turning the SUV just in time, but he had over-corrected and the SUV flipped. Ella screamed and the next thing she knew, she was lying in a field, the stars spinning over head.

"Ella! Ella, are you alright?" she heard Benji's panicked voice ask, but she couldn't respond. Something was caught in her throat and she could taste blood, though she had no context for what was going on. Benji's face swam above her then and then everything went black, darkness rushing in to swallow her whole.

* * *

Ella awoke sometime later, the pungent smell of a hospital greeting her. She could feel the soft blankets that covered her and the heavy bandaging that wrapped her head, partially covering her right eye. She could also feel the tube in her throat and the wires that stretched across her chest. And she could hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the distant voices of her parents speaking with the doctor.

"How bad is she?" she heard her father ask, his tone grave.

"She'll survive." the doctor replied, his tone grave as well. "But there are...issues she'll have to deal with for the rest of her life."

"Issues?" her mother asked, her tone panicked.

"Yes." the doctor responded. "She will need some time to recover from her injuries and then there is the issue of her spine."

"Her spine?" Ella's father asked, both confused and concerned.

"Yes." the doctor responded. "Her spinal cord was completely severed in between her L3 and L4 vertebra. Your daughter is paralyzed from the waist down. She will never walk again."

Ella heard the words as clearly as if the doctor had been standing right beside her when he said them, but she didn't believe them. And yet, she could tell from his tone and the fact that she couldn't feel her legs that the doctor's words were true. She was paralyzed and her dream was dead, snuffed out by one fateful act.

* * *

**Three years later:**

With a startled gasp Ella snapped back to consciousness, her mouth dry and her palms sweaty. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and rubbed the visions of the dream from her eyes. It happened every time she closed her eyes, ever since that fateful night. She would dream of it every time she slept, though not every dream was as vivid as the one she'd just had. Still it was enough to make her consider not sleeping at all, until she considered the ill effects that would have on her. And yet, going without sleep was still something she occasionally considered, as she had nothing other than school to stay well rested for.

Shaking her head again, she reached up and grabbed the pair of handles that were suspended from her ceiling. With a grunt of effort she used the handles to haul herself into a sitting position, before stopping to gaze resentfully at the wheelchair that sat beside her bed. She hated the chair, but she had no real choice but to use it. It was either that or stay here in bed all day, completely cut off from the world, and that was not something Ella could do.

Sighing, she shifted her weight towards the edge of the bed, using the handles for support. Once she was at the edge of the bed she used one of the handles to swing herself into the chair, landing with a soft thump. She then positioned her useless legs so they weren't crossed or bent and rolled herself to her dresser.

When she had first gotten home from the hospital, Ella had had a live in aid to help her with tasks like dressing. But she had soon grown tired of the help and had taught herself to do those things, insisting that even though she was paralyzed she wasn't helpless. Still, there were days when she felt like she was and this was one of those days.

But Ella pushed the negative thoughts aside and rummaged through her dresser, determined not to let her situation get her down. She ultimately settled on a strapless pink dress and white sweater, with a matching pink bow for her hair. She pulled the dress on with practiced ease, donning the sweater as she rolled from the room, the rumbling in her stomach drawing her towards the kitchen.

Minutes later Ella rolled into the kitchen, where her parents were already eating breakfast. "Mother, father, how are you this morning?" she asked, in her sweet, melodic voice.

"Same as always, sweetheart." her mother replied. "Would you like some eggs with your toast this morning?"

"I would, thank you." Ella answered, not quite meeting her mother's gaze. Things were still a little tense between Ella and her parents, who blamed themselves for what had happened to her and insisted on treating her like she was a fragile doll, both notions she dismissed as parental oversight.

Her mother nodded and smiled, before turning back to the eggs she was cooking on the stove. Ella wheeled herself over to the table, where her father was reading the paper, and poured herself a glass of orange juice, before glancing at the community section of the paper.

Ella often scanned the community section to see what was new in the world of ballet and theater, which were both prominent parts of life in her town. She had another motivation for scanning the paper, of course, but she didn't like to admit to it. The paper was the best way for her to keep tabs on her former classmates at the ballet academy, with whom she'd had no real contact since the accident. It was one of those things that she often thought about though, what had become of them, especially Benji, whom she knew blamed himself for what had happened to her.

Ella's parents had cut off all contact between her and the others after the accident and Ella hadn't attempted to go against their wishes, yet. She knew she wasn't the only one who had suffered, but the others had all made full recoveries, while she was stuck in a wheelchair. And from what she'd read in the paper, all of them had gone on to graduate from the academy, which only made her feel worse. Still, she was curious to know what they were up to now.

Ella was drawn away from her musings by the smell of the eggs and toast her mother had placed in front of her. Smiling gratefully, she turned her attention to her food, letting the thoughts of her former friends fade from her mind, though she knew those thoughts would return sooner or later, no matter how hard she tried to shut them out.

After finishing her breakfast, Ella wheeled herself back to her room, where she collected her things before heading off for school. Her house wasn't that far from the high school and she often wheeled herself there, though she occasionally got a ride from her mother. This morning however, she had felt like going alone, as she still had thinking to do.

Returning to school after the accident had been the hardest thing Ella had ever done in her life. The looks of pity she had gotten from classmates and teachers had been unbearable and she had briefly considered homeschooling, before a chat with the school counselor changed her mind. Still, even three years later, it wasn't easy to face the crowd, though many of her classmates had long since moved passed ogling her like she was an oddity in a freak-show. There was one person however, who still delighted in such activity and it was she whom Ella first met upon her arrival at school.

"Hey Ella, how's life without working legs?" a plump, blond haired girl asked as Ella wheeled herself through the front doors.

"Hello Sugar." Ella replied, her tone devoid of hate or annoyance. "As I've told you many times, my life is perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern."

"It wasn't concern." Sugar snapped. "It was an insult. God, when are you going to get that? I don't like you Ella. I never have. And all of this is meant to tear you down."

"That's how you see it." Ella responded. "I choose to see it differently. I think you do like me, you're just too afraid to admit it."

Sugar gave her a disgusted look, before sighing and walking away, muttering curses under her breath. Ella just smiled, content at avoiding yet another possible confrontation. She didn't have time to let Sugar's insults get her down and she certainly wasn't going to play games. Sugar had been her rival since they were six and Ella remained convinced the pageant queen's hatred was nothing more than an act. Ultimately however, it didn't matter. Ella had more important things to worry about and on that note she wheeled herself to class, pointedly ignoring the few stares that followed her down the hall.

* * *

Several hours later, Ella wheeled herself into the cafeteria, gliding up to her usual table where her longtime friend, Dave Cormin sat, diligently setting out his homemade lunch. Ella smiled as she set her bowl of chicken noodle soup on the table, amused by how structured Dave was. Dave was a germaphobe and had a very particular way of doing things, which Ella had always found cute. They had first met in kindergarten and had been friends ever since, though that friendship had wavered slightly when Ella had been spending all her time with the gang from the academy.

"Hey Ella." Dave said, smiling as he cut his apple into thin slices.

"Hello Dave." Ella replied, also smiling. "Still not willing to give the school food a try, I see." Her smile turned to a grin when Dave nearly choked on his apple.

"That swill?" he asked, incredulous. "Are you kidding me? I'd rather starve than eat any of that so called food."

"Calm down Dave, it was only a joke." Ella said, still grinning.

"I know, I know." Dave muttered. "I just...never mind. Hey, did you see the new girl at all this morning?"

"The slim, athletic looking one, with dark hair?" Ella asked, with a sidelong glance at her best friend.

"Yep, that's the one." Dave said, barely able to contain his obvious excitement.

"Yes, I did see her." Ella answered. "She was in my econ class this morning. She seems nice. Do you want me to ask her out for you?"

"What? No-I mean...I don't...would you really do that for me?" Dave asked, obviously caught off guard by the question.

"Of course I would." Ella answered. "You're my best friend Dave. I would do anything for you, you know that."

"That's really kind of you." a voice said then, making them both look up. The very girl they'd just been discussing was standing before them, a tray loaded with food clasped in her hands. "Mind if I join you?" she continued, smiling.

"No, have a seat." Ella said, retuning the smile. "I'm Ella, by the way and this is my best friend Dave." She rested at hand on Dave's shoulder, making him jump.

"It's nice to meet you." the girl said. "My name is Sky, Sky LaMont. I just moved here a week ago."

"Well, we're glad to have you here Sky." Ella said, still smiling. "It's always nice to meet new people, y'know?"

"It really is." Sky agreed, nodding and smiling at Dave.

Ella noticed how Sky didn't seem to notice the wheelchair, a fact that made her instantly likable, though Ella was certain the subject would come up sooner or later. However, until it did, Ella would act as though nothing was wrong.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" she asked, glancing at Sky.

"Partially it's my dad's job." Sky answered. "And partially it's my training."

"Your training for what, an eating contest?" Sugar's loud, grating voice boomed out then. "Seriously, why does a girl as skinny as you need that much food?"

"It's part of my training regimen." Sky answered. "I need to consume a large amount of calories to prepare myself for my ultimate goal of competing in the Olympics."

"That's a wonderful goal." Ella said, beaming. "I wish you the best of luck."

"Yeah right, like she'll actually make it to the Olympics." Sugar scoffed. "She has about as much a chance at that as you do of ever walking again."

"Now hold on a minute." Sky said, rising to her feet, her tone suddenly venomous. "Just because she's in a wheelchair doesn't mean you have to be a bitch. For all you know she has a chance to walk again and you're just treating her like shit to break her down, which is something I will not tolerate, understand?"

"You better watch yourself, new girl." Sugar snapped. "I can be quite mean when I'm angry and you're rapidly pushing me towards that point."

"I think I could take you." Sky said, her tone dismissive.

Sugar looked like she was ready to start throwing punches, but the sight of a teacher stopped her. Instead, she turned and stalked off, muttering more curses, as Ella, Dave, and Sky watched her go, Ella amazed by Sky's defiance.

* * *

That afternoon, as she was wheeling herself towards the exit, Ella heard the sound of footsteps following her. Thinking it was Sugar rushing to get in one last insult before the end of the day, she brought her chair to an abrupt halt, her muscles tensing with stress. However, the voice that greeted her was not that of her longtime rival, which drew a relieved sigh from Ella.

"Hey, mind if we talk for a bit?" the voice, which Ella recognized as Sky's, asked.

Turning her chair to face her newfound friend, Ella smiled and nodded. "Certainly." she said, her tone melodic. "What would you care to discuss?"

"Anything really." Sky answered. "But I'm mainly interested in why that Sugar girl is so mean to you."

"It goes back to a dance competition when we were younger." Ella replied, her tone suggesting she would rather discuss anything but this.

"What happened, exactly?" Sky pressed, ignoring Ella's discomfort.

"Well, I won and Sugar took that as a personal insult." Ella replied. "Then I got accepted into the ballet academy here in town and she just got even more venomous. But it's not really a big deal. I'm convinced she's just hiding the fact that she's insecure."

"You're really willing to give her the benefit of the doubt after the way she treated you at lunch today?" Sky asked, perplexed.

"I always give people the benefit of the doubt." Ella answered. "I've never seen the sense in dwelling on people's negative sides. I prefer to look at the positives. Speaking of which, why didn't you back down from Sugar earlier?"

"Because I won't let people like her intimidate me." Sky answered. "Plus, I really can't stand it when people are mean for no good reason."

Ella nodded, understanding exactly what Sky meant. She was the same way, and had always done her best to avoid those kind of people. It hadn't always worked, but that hadn't stopped her from trying and Ella sensed that Sky was the same way.

"Well, whatever your reasons, thank you." Ella said, her gaze rising to meet Sky's. "Although, it's true what she said, I have no chance of walking again."

The admission seemed to catch Sky off guard and for a moment an awkward silence fell between them, before Sky whispered, "I'm sorry Ella."

Ella smiled, appreciating the other girl's compassion, but she would not accept the pity. "Don't be." she said. "I've come to terms with it. There's nothing that can be done and I'm okay with that." There was a sadness to her tone that made Sky give her an alarmed glance, though to her relief the other girl didn't argue.

"How did it happen?" Sky asked then, in an attempt to hide her desire to help.

"I was in a car accident when I was fourteen." Ella answered, her tone calm. "Some friends and I were on our way home from a party and the driver lost control of the vehicle. We rolled and I was ejected from the car, or so I've been told. I don't really remember much of that night."

"God, Ella, that's horrible." Sky said. "I can't imagine going through something like that."

"Neither could I, until it happened." Ella said, with a faint smile. "But it's one of those things that was out of my control and there's nothing I can do about it now."

Ella's tone was devoid of bitterness and hate, and yet she could tell Sky was interpreting her words differently than she'd intended. She supposed that couldn't be helped, though she wished Sky wouldn't pity her so much. Still, there wasn't much sense in getting upset about it, though she knew Sky was right. She wasn't okay with her situation and she never would be, though all her efforts to change the person she was now had been for naught.

"So, you were a dancer before the accident?" Sky asked, drawing Ella from her thoughts.

"I was." Ella answered. "But that dream is lost to me now."

"What dreams do you chase now?" Sky asked, honestly curious.

"Singing, though that's not going as well as I'd hoped." Ella answered. "It seems no one wants to cast a wheelchair bound girl in the lead in any school musicals." She was silent for a moment before adding, "there's also this, of course", her finger tips brushing against the scar the ran down the right side of her throat where the glass had been embedded after the crash.

"What happened there?" Sky asked, still curious.

"Another remnant of the crash." Ella answered. "A piece of the windshield was stuck there and it nicked one of my vocal cords. I can still sing, but I'm not sure if I can hit the notes I used to be able to hit, you know?"

"Well, I think you can." Sky said, beaming, her tone full of confidence.

"But you don't even know me." Ella said. "How can you know that?"

"I just can." Sky answered. "And I want to help you Ella. I want to help you achieve your new dream, no matter what."

Ella opened her mouth to protest, but the look of determination on Sky's face kept her silent. It seemed this small, athletic girl was not one to be dissuaded by anything and Ella found herself feeling suddenly grateful for their meeting earlier that day.

* * *

Over the next several weeks Ella worked closely with Sky everyday after school and to her surprise, discovered that she could still sing like she had before the accident. She could still hit all the high notes and she still had the range she'd had before. And whenever she got discouraged, Sky would raise her spirits, to the point that by the time the annual town talent show rolled around, Ella was feeling confident enough to compete, something she hadn't done since before the accident.

The only question now was what song to perform. Ella had several songs she had written before the accident and there were always the hits released by other musicians to consider, but Ella was determined to go in a different direction. Her old songs only reminded her of her old life and using someone else's songs felt like cheating. So, with a week to go to the talent show, Ella was stuck without a song to perform, until Sky made a suggestion.

"What about that song you played for me the other day?" Sky asked one day at lunch.

"That song isn't ready." Ella answered, not meeting Sky's gaze.

"Which song?" Dave asked, looking up from his sandwich.

"Never mind, it's not important." Ella said, her tone disgruntled.

"Come on Ella, don't be like that." Sky said. "It's a good song and I think you should play it at the talent show."

"And I'm telling you no." Ella said. "The song isn't ready."

"Which song?" Dave asked again, his tone more demanding this time.

"A song title _Broken Dreams_." Sky answered, before Ella could. "She played it for me the other day and it's really good. It's about how she's dealt with what happened to her."

Ella shot Sky a dark look, but before she could say anything Dave spoke up again. "Oh, wow." he said. "How long have you had this song in your arsenal Ella?"

"A few months or so." she answered. "But again, it's not ready. I still need to work on parts of it and there isn't time before the talent show."

Sky and Dave gave her looks of disbelief and Sky said, "Play it for Dave, see what he thinks. If he agrees with me, you'll play it at the show. Agreed?"

"Alright, fine." Ella said, rolling her eyes, annoyed by how persuasive Sky could be.

And later that day she had her song, for Dave was convinced it was ready upon listening to it, though Ella was still unsure they were right.

* * *

A week later, on the night of the talent show, Ella arrived at the high school gym full of butterflies. She had never been so nervous to perform in all her life and she wasn't sure she would be able to pull this off. Even with the constant reassurances of her parents, Sky, and Dave, she was convinced this whole thing would be a disaster, but it was too late to turn back now. She had paid the entrance fee and she would not let those who supported her down, no matter what.

Ella was the final act to perform, which meant she had to wait backstage for over an hour while a variety of other acts went before her, including Sugar, who was always a strong competitor. As she waited Ella went over the song in her mind, silently rehearsing every line with the hope that the extra practice would keep her from messing up.

Finally, after more than an hour, the mayor peeked through the curtains and whispered, "Ella, you're up."

Ella nodded and, taking a deep breath to calm herself, wheeled herself out onto the stage. It was the first time she'd been in front of this many people since the accident and for a moment panic gripped her, screaming at her to run. But she quickly remembered that she couldn't run, even if she'd wanted to and she wheeled herself to the microphone at the front of the stage, her nerves lessening with each turn of the wheels.

Once she reached the front of the stage, Ella reached for the microphone, clicking on the background music as she did so. Her gaze scanned the crowd before her, picking out specific individuals in vivid detail. Her parents, seated in the front row. Sky and Dave, grinning up at her with barely suppressed confidence. Sugar, with a look that was half contempt and half grudging respect. And there, at the back of the room, half hidden in shadows, Benji, Amber, Carly, Tali, and Connor, whom she hadn't seen or spoken to in years.

And at that moment she felt all her fears wash away and the lyrics came pouring out of her in a flood of emotion. All the pain and sorrow and previously hidden self pity she'd carried around since the accident, came out in a rush, mixing with hints of joy and pride and strength. And as she sang her heart out Ella realized that everything in her life was perfectly summed up by the final line of the song's chorus, _"For in this life, not all is what it seems, when all we have to go by are broken dreams."_

As the final note of the song hung in the air, Ella felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was so relieved that, for a moment, she didn't even notice the wall of noise that was the crowd's response to the song. And then the mayor was beside her, handing her the first place trophy, while Sky and Dave embraced her and Sky whispered, "I knew you could do it."

Ella didn't see how Sugar had reacted to losing, but she didn't care. All that mattered at that moment was that she was finally, truly happy again and perhaps her dreams weren't quite as broken as she'd once thought.

**End, for now...**

* * *

**A/N: And that's that. I finally got this thing finished. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would, but whatever, you can't rush art, right? I'm not really sure where the inspiration for this fic came from, but there it is. I guess I just wanted to write something with members of the PI cast, so I did. Not much else to say, really. Hope you enjoyed. Cheers, KT.**


End file.
